Uncle William: the man who was shif'less eBook

“It wasn’t that,” the young man
broke in. “I did see her. I
know now. I saw her face for a minute as plain
as I see yours. She was looking straight at me
and I saw all of a sudden what a fool I was.”

“You’re getting better,” said Uncle
William.

“Do you think so? I was afraid—­”
he hesitated.

“You thought mebbe you was a-goin’ to
die?”

“Well—­I have heard that people see
clearly—­It came over me in a flash so—­”

“Lord, no!” Uncle William chuckled.
“You’re jest gettin’ your wits back,
that’s all. I shouldn’t wonder if
you’d be real pert by the time we get there.
I cal’ate you’ll be considabul help to
me—­dish-washin’ an’ so on.”

The towers and chimneys behind them dwindled.
The smoke of the city faded to a blur and grew to
clear azure. The wind blew against their faces.
After a little the young man got to his feet.
“I’m going to walk awhile.”
He spoke defiantly.

“Walk right along,” said Uncle William,
cheerfully.

He tottered a few steps, and held out his hand.

Uncle William chuckled. “I reckoned you’d
want a lift.” He placed a strong hand under
the young man’s arm. They paced back and
forth the length of the deck. “Feel good?”
asked Uncle William.

The young man nodded. “I shall go alone
to-morrow.”

“Yes, I reckon you will,” soothingly.
“And the further north we get, the better you’ll
feel. It’s cur’us about the North.
The’ ‘s suthin’ up there keeps drawin’
you like a needle. I’ve known a man to be
cured jut by turnin’ and sailin’ that
way when he was sick. Seem ’s if he stopped
pullin’ against things and just let go.
You look to me a little mite tired. I’d
go below for a spell if I was you.”

The young man went below and slept. When he woke
he felt better, as Uncle William had predicted.
At Halifax he insisted on sending a telegram to Sergia.
After that he watched the water with gleaming face,
and when they boarded the John L. Cann and the
shores of Arichat shaped themselves out of space,
he was like a boy.